England win second Sri Lanka Test

COLOMBO: England defeated Sri Lanka by eight wickets in the second and final Test in Colombo on Saturday to level the series 1-1 and retain their number one Test ranking.

The tourists bowled out Sri Lanka for 278 in their second innings and then chased down the victory target of 94 in the post-lunch session on the fifth day at the P. Sara Oval.

Off-spinner Graeme Swann claimed six wickets in the innings to finish with a match haul of 10.

It was England's first win in five Tests on their Asian sojourn this year after being blanked 3-0 by Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates and losing the first Test of this series in Galle.

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10-wicket Swann brings England close to win

COLOMBO: England faced a modest target of 94 to win the second Test against Sri Lanka after they dismissed the hosts for 278 in their second innings just before lunch on the fifth day on Saturday.

Off-spinner Graeme Swann picked up six wickets in the innings to finish with a match-haul of 10.

England, who lost the first Test in Galle, need a win to level the two-match series and retain their number one ranking.

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Dinda destroys Mumbai as Pune begin on winning note

MUMBAI: Paceman Ashok Dinda bowled excellently well to help Pune Warriors upset Mumbai Indians by 28 runs in the third match of the Indian Premier League Twenty20 tournament here at the Wankhede Stadium on Friday.

This was the first defeat for Mumbai Indians, who had won the opening match of the tournament on Wednesday.

Chasing an easy target of 130, they were restricted to 101-9 in the allotted 20 overs due to intelligent bowling by Dinda, who grabbed four for 17, and left-arm spinner Murali Karthik (2-14).

James Franklin of New Zealand and Dinesh Karthik of India top scored with 32 each whereas captain Harbhajan Singh (16) was the only other batsman to get into double figures.

Earlier, Pune made 129 for nine in 20 overs after Mumbai captain Harbhajan put them into bat.

Their main scorers were Australia’s Steven Smith (39) and India’s Robin Uthappa (36) while for Mumbai, pace bowlers Lasith Malinga of Sri Lanka and Munaf Patel of India claimed two wickets each for 16 and 26, respectively.

All the matches of the IPL tournament are being telecast live by Geo Super

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Rahane's 98 runs help Rajasthan win

JAIPUR: Ajinkya Rahane's 98 runs off 66 deliveries along with deadly bowling Kevon Cooper (4/26) helped Rajasthan Royals to a comfortable win in their opening match of 12th Indian Premiere League against King XI Punjab.

Batting first, Rajasthan posted 191 for four and the Kings XI Punjab were restricted to 160 for nine in reply.

Chasing a stiff target of 192, Kings XI Punjab could only manage 160 for the loss of nine wickets in their stipulated 20 overs.

Kings XI Punjab had a dismal start to their run chase as they lost Adam Gilchrist, Paul Valthaty, Shaun Marsh and Abhishek Nayar in quick time against Rajasthan Royals.

Medium pacer Kevon Cooper cleaned up Piyush Chawla in his final over of the innings to pick up his fourth wicket. Copper finished with the figures of 4/26 in his quota of four overs.

Left-arm spinner Ankeet Chavan picked up two wickets for Rajasthan. Siddharth Trivedi gave breakthrough to Rajasthan team as he dismissed David Hussey (13). Kings XI Punjab were tottering at 112 for 5 after 14 overs.

Kevon Cooper triple strike gave denting blow to Rajasthan Royals' run-chase as he picked up his third wicket when he dismissed Abhishek Nayar. Cooper dismissed Shaun Marsh (7) for his second wicket.

Seamer Amit Singh gave Rajasthan first breakthrough as he got rid of Adam Gilchrist, who scored a quickfire 18-ball 27 with the help of three fours and one six.

Rajasthan lost their second wicket in the form of Paul Valthaty who managed just 13 runs. Kevon Copper sent Valthaty back to pavillion.

Earlier, Ajinkya Rahane scored a blistering 98 to power Rajasthan Royals to a mammoth 191 for four against Kings XI Punjab in their opening match of the Indian Premier League season five in Jaipur on Friday.

Rahane turned out to be the cynosure of all eyes at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium, scoring his 98 runs off just 66 balls with the help of 16 boundaries and a lone six.

Just when was set for the first century of IPL 5, Rahane was bowled by James Faulkner (2/41) in the final over of the innings two runs short of the magical three-figure mark.

Put into bat, captain Rahul Dravid ()28 off 24) and Rahane gave a flying start to Rajasthan's innings, sharing 77 runs for the opening stand that came off just 57 balls.

After a quiet first over, Rahane broke the shackles with two consecutive boundaries off Faulkner in the next.

Rahane then clobbered Praveen Kumar for four fours to pick up 16 runs of the bowler's second over.

Dravid, on the other hand, played sensibly with ones and twos but hit boundaries when opportunities came his way.

After toiling hard for 9.3 overs, Kings XI finally managed to get the breakthrough when Dravid was dismissed by Harmeet Singh (1/23), caught by Faulkner at the cover boundary as he tried to slap one over the in-field.

Rahane soon brought up his fifty in style off just 37 balls, hitting Piyush Chawla (1/33) straight over his head in the 10th over.

The visitors, however, tasted another success in the same over when Ashok Maneria was castled by Chawla for a duck.

But the two quick dismissals had no effect on Rahane, who went about his business in style, and struck two boundaries and a six to pick up 16 runs from Paul Valthaty's only over.

Rahane was in ominous mood today as he played delightful strokes on all sides of the wicket and did not spare a single Kings XI bowler.

Chawla once again came under Rahane's fury when the right-hander smashed the leg-spinner for three consecutive fours in the 17th over.

Brad Hodge also played his part with a 16-ball 21-run knock before he was bowled by Faulkner.

Owais Shah (14 not out off 8) and West Indian Kevon Cooper (11 not out off 3) also played little cameos towards the end.

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Kaneria 'unaware' of ECB corruption hearing

KARACHI: Former Pakistan cricketer Danish Kaneria said Friday he was in the dark about a disciplinary hearing in Britain over corruption that led to the jailing of an English county player.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced on Thursday that the

leg-spinner and his former Essex teammate Mervyn Westfield would face a hearing next month.

Westfield was jailed for four months in February after admitting that he

accepted money to under-perform during a Pro40 match between Essex and Durham

in 2009.

The 23-year-old seamer named Kaneria -- arrested in 2010 but released

without charge -- as the link between the bookmaker and the players.

Kaneria, who has not played for Pakistan since the Nottingham Test against

England in August 2010, said he had not been informed about the hearing.

"I just got to know about a disciplinary hearing from the media," Kaneria

told AFP.

"Once I get the official letter from the ECB then only I will consult with

my lawyer and decide how to go about it."

Kaneria faces a worldwide ban from the game if found guilty by the hearing,

where a number of Essex players are expected to give evidence.

The 31-year-old, who played 61 Tests and 18 one-day for Pakistan, is now

involved in first-class cricket in Pakistan. He led Sindh in the Pentangular

Cup first-class tournament and also played in the Super Eight Twenty20 event

earlier this year.

In February this year, the International Cricket Council, the ECB and Pakistan Cricket Board dismissed Kaneria's claims that he had been cleared in the spot-fixing scandal

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Swann leads England charge against Sri Lanka

COLOMBO: Off-spinner Graeme Swann grabbed four wickets to leave a rejuvenated England on the brink of a series-levelling win in the second and final Test against Sri Lanka in Colombo on Friday.

Sri Lanka, trailing by 185 runs on the first innings, ended the fourth day's play at 218-6 in their second knock, a lead of 33 runs with only four wickets in hand on a wearing P. Sara Oval pitch.

Skipper Mahela Jayawardene stood in England's way with an unbeaten 55, showing the form that has already fetched him two centuries in the series, including one in the first innings.

England, who lost the first Test in Galle, will return for the final day's play on Saturday looking to polish off the rest of the Sri Lankan batting quickly.

Andrew Strauss' men need a win to draw the series and retain their number one Test ranking.

The tourists were hoping for a swift closure when Swann grabbed the key wickets of Tillakaratne Dilshan and Kumar Sangakkara in the post-lunch session.

But Thilan Samaraweera (47) and Jayawardene kept the England attack at bay -- even for nine overs with the second new ball -- during a 90-run partnership for the fifth wicket.

Swann, coming on two overs before stumps, bowled Samaraweera with his first delivery and Suraj Randiv with the third to pin Sri Lanka against the ropes.

If England do the unlikely and fail to win, they will rue a dropped catch off Jayawardene by Tim Bresnan at mid-on off Samit Patel when the batsman was on 20 and the hosts were still 46 runs behind.

Dilshan was unfortunate to be given out, caught in the slips off Swann as TV replays proved inconclusive whether the ball had gone off the bat.

Third umpire Rod Tucker reviewed Dilshan's challenge for more than five minutes before upholding on-field official Bruce Oxenford's decision to give the batsman out.

Dilshan, who earlier in the day had been fined 10 percent of his match fee for excessive appealing in England's first innings, walked off clearly unhappy with the decision.

Sri Lankan coach Graham Ford immediately went up to match referee Javagal Srinath to ask why the benefit of doubt had not been given to the batsman, as is the norm in cricket.

The infra-red Hot Spot technology, which could have determined an edge, is not being used for the series.

Dilshan, who made 35, has now gone 21 innings without a Test century since plundering 193 against England at Lord's in June last year.

Later in the same over, Swann appealed for leg-before against Sangakkara, which Oxenford turned down. This time it was England's turn to lose the review even though the ball clipped the off-bail.

But Sangakkara did not last long as he edged Swann to wicket-keeper Matt Prior after making 21, with Sri Lanka still 61 runs in arrears.

The left-hander, who had been dismissed first ball in two of the three previous innings, finished the series with a dismal average of 8.75.

Lahiru Thirimanne (11) and nightwatchman Dhammika Prasad (34), who saw off one over on Thursday evening, put on 23 for the first wicket when Sri Lanka resumed at 4-0.

Prasad, a tailender who averaged 19.20 in his previous nine Tests, survived two dropped catches to defy England for 87 minutes and even helped himself to five boundaries, but it was mostly downhill for Sri Lanka after that.

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England miss chances in final S. Lanka Test

COLOMBO: Resolute batting by Sri Lanka and at least three missed chances in the field thwarted England on the fourth day of the second Test in Colombo on Friday.

Sri Lanka, trailing by 185 runs, lost the openers as they took their second innings total from the overnight 4-0 to 84 for two by lunch on the slow wicket at the P. Sara Oval.

Tillakaratne Dilshan was unbeaten on 25 and Kumar Sangakkara was on eight, with the hosts still 101 runs behind with eight wickets in hand.

Sangakkara, who was dismissed first ball in two of the three previous innings in the series, was lucky not to be run out on five when he nearly collided mid-pitch with Dilshan.

England, beaten by 75 runs in the first Test in Galle, need a win to level the short two-match series and retain their world number one Test ranking.

Lahiru Thirimanne and nightwatchman Dhammika Prasad, who saw off the lone over on Thursday evening, put on 23 for the first wicket before James Anderson struck the first blow.

Left-handed Thirimanne failed to take advantage of a missed stumping off Graeme Swann and edged Anderson to Andrew Strauss at first slip after making 11.

Prasad, a tailender who averaged 19.20 in his previous nine Tests, defied the England attack for 87 minutes and even helped himself to five boundaries.

He finally fell for 34 when an ambitious hook shot off Steven Finn landed safely in the hands of Tim Bresnan at deep square-leg.

Prasad was dropped twice in one Swann over, as wicket-keeper Matt Prior failed to glove a thick edge and Finn floored a waist-high catch at mid-off.

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Delhi win by 8 wickets against Kolkata

KOLKATA: Dehli Daredevils beat Kolkata Knight Riders by 8 wickets with 5 balls remaining in T20 match of the 12th Indian Premier League here on Friday.

A 12-over-a-side game kicked off after rain delayed the game for two-and a half hours.

Irfan struck three sixes and two boundaries to help Delhi reach 100 with five balls to spare and make a winning start to their IPL V campaign.

Earlier, Morne Morkel scalped three wickets for 18 runs, while Umesh Yadav and Roelof van der Merwe bagged two wickets apiece to restrict the Knight Riders to 97 for nine after they were put into bat following a two-and-half hours rain delay.

Chasing the small total, Aaron Finch (30 from 27 balls) and Virender Sehwag (20 off 13) gave the Daredevils a solid start putting on 49 for the opening wicket.

The duo did not seem to be in any trouble against the Knight Riders attack as Finch made the bulk of the scoring during the partnership, while Sehwag was content in rotating the strike.

But two quick wickets, after Kallis gave the breakthrough in the form of Finch, brought the crowd back on its feet with the match tentalisingly poised as Daredevils nedded 41 runs off 28 balls to win.

But Irfan and Glenn Maxwell (3 not out) had other ideas as the Indian southpaw paced his innings beautifully to complete a clinical chase.

As the asking rate began to rise with 35 needed from 20 balls, Irfan hit Kallis over long on for a six to bring relief for the visitors.

In the next over, Irfan smashed Marchant de Lange for two sixes to make the chase a routine affair for Delhi.

It was the battle of Yusuf versus Irfan in the very next over, as the younger brother lifted one over extra cover boundary to make the equation two runs from the last over.

Earlier, the Daredevils came up with a fine bowling display to restrict Knight Riders to 97 for nine.

Put into bat after a two-and-half hours of rain delay, the Knight Riders batsmen struggled to get off the blocks against Delhi's bowling attack led by South African speedster Morkel.

Indian pace sensation Yadav and Van der Merwe also did fine jobs at the other end, picking up two wickets apiece.

Laxmi Ratan Shukla top-scored for the home team with a 17-ball 26, which was studded with two sixes and a lone boundary. He resurrected Kolkata's innings after they were reduced to 54 for five in 6.4 overs.

On a day when their star batsmen including skipper Gautam Gambhir (16), Jacques Kallis (4) and Yusuf (0) flopped, Bengal youngster Debabrata Das impressed with a quickfire 18 from nine balls that included a huge six off Morkel.

The Knight Riders found themselves in alien conditions even at home as the Delhi pace duo of Morkel and Yadav rattled their batting line-up after Van der Merwe gave the visitors their first breakthrough.

Van der Merwe, who shared the new ball with Irfan, gave Delhi the breakthrough in his very first over when he cut short a dangerous-looking Brendon McCullum's (9) stay, trapping him plumb in front of the wicket.

There after Morkel and Yadav reduced Kolkata to 31 for four by the fourth over.

The South African pacer rattled his compatriot Kallis' middle stump with a toe-crushing yorker and followed it up with Manoj Tiwary's wicket in similar fashion in the very next ball.

Yadav then took the prize scalp of Yusuf for a duck to reduce the Knight Riders to 31 for four.

In dire need of a partnership, Debabrata broke the shackles with two sixes - first off Maxwell and then Morkel.

He made his intentions clear hitting the South African speedster over the long on boundary, but his fine innings came to an end because of a misunderstanding with Shukla.

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COLOMBO: Kevin Pietersen shrugged off a switch-hit controversy to smash an explosive 151 off 165 balls as England took charge of the second Test against Sri Lanka in Colombo on Thursday. The flamboyant Pietersen plundered 16 boundaries and six sixes in his 20th Test century as the tourists piled up 460 in their first innings before being all out just before stumps on the third day. Sri Lanka, trailing by 185 runs, were 4-0 from one over in their second knock at close with Lahiru Thirimanne and Dhammika Prasad at the crease. England, who lost the first Test in Galle by 75 runs, have two days to force a series-levelling win on the wearing P. Sara Oval wicket and retain their number one ranking. Pietersen was warned twice by the on-field umpires before the tea break for changing his stance to make a switch hit -- a right-hander playing a shot with a left-hander's grip. The warning from officials Bruce Oxenford and Asad Rauf came after bowler Tillakaratne Dilshan had to stop twice in his run-up as Pietersen turned around in his stance. The laws of the game state the switch hit is legal, but a batsman cannot change stance before the bowler has delivered the ball. Match referee Javagal Srinath of India said a third offence by any of the England batsmen in the innings would have resulted in five penalty runs being awarded to Sri Lanka. The incident marred an otherwise profitable day for the tourists, who finally came good with the bat after losing four Tests in a row in Asia this year -- the 3-0 rout by Pakistan and the Galle defeat. But England may feel that they ought to have punished the hosts more. Alastair Cook hit 94 and Jonathan Trott followed his 112 at Galle with 64, the pair sharing a second-wicket stand of 91 after skipper Andrew Strauss made 61 on Wednesday. Pietersen reached his hundred in the same over he was warned, executing a reverse sweep for two, and celebrated the landmark by pulling the next ball from Dilshan for a boundary. He had given England the lead with his third six, a straight drive off Suraj Randiv, which also brought up his half-century. The South African-born batsman had earlier smashed two fours and a six off three consecutive deliveries from Randiv, and also hammered Dilshan high over long-off. Pietersen, who put on 94 for the fourth wicket with Ian Bell (18), was dismissed in the final session when he was leg-before to Rangana Herath as he tried to sweep the left-arm spinner. Cook fell six short of his 20th century for the second time in four Tests when he edged off-spinner Dilshan to skipper Mahela Jayawardene at first slip. The 27-year-old had also fallen for 94 in the second Test against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi in January, when he was leg-before to another off-spinner, Saeed Ajmal. Trott added just two runs to his lunch score of 62 when he edged a sharp turning delivery from Herath to give an easy catch to Jayawardene in the slips.

LONDON: Mervyn Westfield and Pakistan leg-spinner Danish Kaneria are to face an England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) hearing over the corrupt activities that led to the English seamer's imprisonment.

In February, the 23-year-old Westfield became the first county cricketer in England to be prosecuted for spot-fixing and was jailed for four months.

Westfield was convicted on one count of accepting or obtaining a corrupt payment to bowl in a way that would allow the scoring of runs.

In February, London's Old Bailey was told Westfield was paid #6,000 ($9,585) to bowl so that a specific number of runs would be chalked up in the first over of a match between Durham and Essex in September 2009.

It was claimed Westfield was "targeted" by Essex team-mate Kaneria, whom the court was told set up the deal.

Kaneria, who has always pleaded his innocence, had earlier been released without charge by police.

An ECB statement issued Thursday said: "Mervyn Westfield and Danish Kaneria have been notified that an ECB disciplinary panel hearing will take place at which charges will be heard relating to their alleged breaches of the ECB's anti-corruption directives.

"The charges relate to the corrupt activities which led to Mervyn Westfield's criminal conviction in February.

"The chairman of the ECB's Cricket Discipline Commission, Gerard Elias QC, will chair the hearing.

"The ECB will be making no further comment whilst these proceedings are on-going."

A board spokesman said a date and venue for the hearing had yet to decided.

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Pietersen puts England on top

COLOMBO: Kevin Pietersen shrugged off a switch-hit controversy to smash an explosive 151 off 165 balls as England took charge of the second Test against Sri Lanka in Colombo on Thursday.

The flamboyant Pietersen plundered 16 boundaries and six sixes in his 20th Test century as the tourists piled up 460 in their first innings before being all out just before stumps on the third day.

Sri Lanka, trailing by 185 runs, were 4-0 from one over in their second knock at close with Lahiru Thirimanne and Dhammika Prasad at the crease.

England, who lost the first Test in Galle by 75 runs, have two days to force a series-levelling win on the wearing P. Sara Oval wicket and retain their number one ranking.

Pietersen was warned twice by the on-field umpires before the tea break for changing his stance to make a switch hit -- a right-hander playing a shot with a left-hander's grip.

The warning from officials Bruce Oxenford and Asad Rauf came after bowler Tillakaratne Dilshan had to stop twice in his run-up as Pietersen turned around in his stance.

The laws of the game state the switch hit is legal, but a batsman cannot change stance before the bowler has delivered the ball.

Match referee Javagal Srinath of India said a third offence by any of the England batsmen in the innings would have resulted in five penalty runs being awarded to Sri Lanka.

The incident marred an otherwise profitable day for the tourists, who finally came good with the bat after losing four Tests in a row in Asia this year -- the 3-0 rout by Pakistan and the Galle defeat.

But England may feel that they ought to have punished the hosts more.

Alastair Cook hit 94 and Jonathan Trott followed his 112 at Galle with 64, the pair sharing a second-wicket stand of 91 after skipper Andrew Strauss made 61 on Wednesday.

Pietersen reached his hundred in the same over he was warned, executing a reverse sweep for two, and celebrated the landmark by pulling the next ball from Dilshan for a boundary.

He had given England the lead with his third six, a straight drive off Suraj Randiv, which also brought up his half-century.

The South African-born batsman had earlier smashed two fours and a six off three consecutive deliveries from Randiv, and also hammered Dilshan high over long-off.

Pietersen, who put on 94 for the fourth wicket with Ian Bell (18), was dismissed in the final session when he was leg-before to Rangana Herath as he tried to sweep the left-arm spinner.

Cook fell six short of his 20th century for the second time in four Tests when he edged off-spinner Dilshan to skipper Mahela Jayawardene at first slip.

The 27-year-old had also fallen for 94 in the second Test against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi in January, when he was leg-before to another off-spinner, Saeed Ajmal.

Trott added just two runs to his lunch score of 62 when he edged a sharp turning delivery from Herath to give an easy catch to Jayawardene in the slips.

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Pomersbach back in IPL after depression

NEW DELHI: Australian Luke Pomersbach says he is ready to deliver in the new Indian Premier League (IPL) season after winning his battle with depression.

The middle-order batsman, who has returned to play again for 2011 runners-up the Royal Challengers Bangalore, announced last year he was taking a break from cricket for his own well being.

Pomersbach said he was now "on top of things" after suffering a bout of depression and was determined to make the most of the Twenty20 tournament, which started Wednesday.

"When you play a lot of cricket, sometimes you need a bit of a break and need to start thinking about other things in the life," Pomersbach, 27, was quoted as saying in the Hindu newspaper on Thursday.

"There were a few things off the field that I needed to deal with and I have done that. I have seen a couple of specialists and I am right on top of things now. It was just a bit of a break and it freshened me up."

Pomersbach, who was once suspended by Western Australia after a drinking session, conceded he had made a few mistakes in the past.

"Some people deal with these problems better than others. Some people deal with them badly and make the wrong choices in life," said Pomersbach, who represented Australia in just one Twenty20 international.

"Unfortunately, I went down that path and made a few bad decisions. But I've learnt a lot from them and I suppose I've got that experience.

"You shouldn't even think about cricket when serious issues like that come up in your life. I suppose I've just got to get back to enjoying my game and look forward to my next game."

Pomersbach said the IPL was the best learning curve for players like him with little international experience.

"It's fantastic to be a part of this, particularly for someone who doesn't have much international experience. It is great to be around guys like Chris Gayle, AB de Villiers and Daniel Vettori," he said.

"Hopefully, an opportunity will arise during the tournament and I'm ready to grab it with both the hands."

Bangalore clash with Delhi Daredevils in their opening match on Saturday

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Cook, Trott consolidate for England

COLOMBO: Alastair Cook and Jonathan Trott put on a 91-run stand as England closed in on Sri Lanka's first innings total of 275 in the second Test in Colombo on Thursday.

Left-hander Cook made 94 and Trott was unbeaten on 62 as the tourists moved to 239 for two by lunch on the second day, trailing by just 36 runs with eight wickets in hand at the P. Sara Oval.

Trott, the lone English batsman to shine in the first Test in Galle with a grim 112 in the second innings, continued his good form by slamming seven boundaries.

Kevin Pietersen was on 18, having added 26 for the third wicket with Trott.

England, who lost in Galle by 75 runs, need a win to level the short two-match series and retain their position as the world's top-ranked side.

Cook fell six short of his 20th century for the second time in four Tests when he edged off-spinner Tillakaratne Dilshan to skipper Mahela Jayawardene in the slips.

The 27-year-old had also fallen for 94 in the second Test against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi in January when he was leg-before to another off-spinner, Saeed Ajmal.

Cook was on 84 when he attempted to reverse sweep Rangana Herath and the ball ballooned to Mahela Jayawardene in the slips, but umpire Asad Rauf turned down the loud appeal for a catch.

The Sri Lankans, confident that Cook had gloved the ball, asked for a review, but TV umpire Rod Tucker ruled in the batsman's favour since replays showed no clear evidence the ball had gone off the bat or glove.

The Hot Spot, or infra-red technology, which could have proved decisive in the appeal, is not being used for the series.

Trott did most of his scoring in the first hour, hitting three boundaries, as Cook preferred to grind it out on the slow pitch that made shot-making difficult.

Cook's two fours in one over from Suranga Lakmal brought up England's 200, and Trott reached his half-century with a glide to third man off Dhammika Prasad.

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Cricket: Aamer appears in anti-corruption video

LONDON: Pakistani cricketer Mohammad Aamer has appeared in an official video from the Anti-Corruption and Security Unit of the International Cricket Council warning players of the dangers of corruption.

The five minute video has been posted on the official ICC website.

Highly-rated 19-year-old left-arm paceman Aamer was released from a UK jail in February after serving half of a six-month sentence for his part in the spot-fixing scandal during the Lord’s Test between England and Pakistan in 2010.

His former teammates Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif are serving sentences of 30 and 12 months respectively, handed down by a British court in November, after the trio were found guilty of corruption and receiving illegal money.

The ICC also banned all three players, with Aamer receiving the minimum five-year punishment after he was found guilty of deliberately bowling no-balls as part of a plan orchestrated by Butt and agent Mazhar Majeed, also now serving a jail sentence.

Last month Aamer gave a broadcast interview in Urdu to ex-England captain Michael Atherton where he said former Pakistan skipper Butt had betrayed their friendship by luring him into the scandal.

However, in the ACSU video Aamer, speaking in clear English, made no specific references to other cricketers but instead issued a general warning.

“Prison is a bad place for everyone,” he said. “Don’t make the mistakes which I did. I was stupid I didn’t tell anybody because I didn’t have coverage…If someone comes to you go straight to team management and ICC team.” Aamer said his “life had been ruined “ in a couple of hours as a result of being put under pressure by senior players to deliberately bowl no-balls at Lord’s although he accepted his mistake.

“I always knew this was cheating at cricket but I was under pressure but I accept my mistake,” he added.

“When I was in ICC hearing, I knew I was totally embarrassed. I wanted to tell the truth but I didn’t have courage…When the police put me in handcuffs I was literally crying.” There is no suggestion Aamer’s participation in the ACSU video will lead to a reduction of his ban, which was imposed by an independent disciplinary tribunal.

But it can be seen as part of the “rehabilitation” that outgoing ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat has said the bowler should undertake while banned.

“I would prefer that the starting point should not be about whether we (ICC) could reduce the sentence,” Lorgat said last month.

“If Mohammad Aamer stands up and delivers a message of caution about this murky world, people are going to sit up and listen,” the South African added.

“That is one example of rehabilitation.

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